England rule the world

ENGLAND defeated New Zealand by six wickets to secure the women's World Twenty20 crown at Lord's. Charlotte Edwards' team were set just 86 after blitzing the New Zealand batting and were taken home by star batter Claire Taylor in the 17th over. The success means that England are now champions in 20-over and 50-over formats and also hold the Ashes.

ENGLAND defeated New Zealand by six wickets to secure the women's World Twenty20 crown at Lord's.

Charlotte Edwards' team were set just 86 after blitzing the New Zealand batting and were taken home by star batter Claire Taylor in the 17th over.

The success means that England are now champions in 20-over and 50-over formats and also hold the Ashes.

Fast bowler Katherine Brunt left the White Ferns' top order in tatters with a new-ball spell of 4-2-6-3, which included the scalp of the dangerous Aimee Watkins.

A full swinging delivery bowled left-hander Watkins through the gate to spark jubilant celebrations among the hosts.

Brunt, sporting a black eye after an accident in fielding practice earlier this week, then produced a double-wicket maiden to reduce the Kiwis to 23 for four.

Bizarre

Wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor, who turned in a fine display, reacted to a bizarre attempt by opener Lucy Doolan to shovel the ball to the leg-side by completing a fine diving catch to her right off Brunt.

Moments later, the combative Brunt kept her cool to get under a skier from Rachel Priest.

The early dismissals vindicated England captain Charlotte Edwards' decision to put in New Zealand, the same opposition they defeated to secure the one-day World Cup earlier this year.

They also restricted the boundary count throughout the New Zealand innings - Watkins was the only batter in the top order to hit a boundary and her two were not added to until a brief late assault in the final three overs increased the innings count to five.

Rocked

England were rocked in their chase when captain Edwards was bowled by a swinging delivery from left-armer Sian Ruck in just the fourth over.

Crucially it brought Taylor to the crease and even more crucially she was dropped before getting off the mark.

Kate Pulford located the outside edge but wicketkeeper Rachel Priest flapped her gloves at the chance and the ball skirted for four.

Current Wisden cricketer of the year Taylor, whose excellent innings shaped the chase to defeat Australia in the semi-final on Friday, once again sized up the task and made the loss of other wickets an irrelevance.

She maintained a strike rate in excess of a run a ball and found the boundary rope on four occasions in an unbeaten 39.

The final stroke of that quartet was the most authoritative of the entire match as Nicola Browne was lofted down the ground to seal the victory in style.